Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-24
THE WHIPPERS In.
THE ARDUouS DUTIES OF THE ENG
LlsH PARLIAMENTARY "WHlPS.n

How the Political Hounds Are Called
Together In Great Britain's Legislative
Haiis-rhs Serious Responsibilities Of
the Party whip"
Political parties were declared by Pulte-
ney, q hundred years ago, to resemble
snakes, in the fact that their heads were
moved forward by their tails. IL might
be %invidious, perhaps, at the present day
to discuss the anatomy of parties in
order TO find out where the motive power
chiefly lies; but there can at least be little
doubt that a party without a whip, or a
couple OF whips, would stand a very poor
chance indeed on the floor Of the house Of
commons. The first lord of the treasury
may be ''absent through indisposition,"
or the chancellor Of the ~exchequei may
stay away from some other reason, and
there are plenty of occupants Of the treas
ury bench TO take their place for "A night.
But %supposing that both whips should be
incapacitated, who would be their substi-
tutess No other members know half so
much about the party organization rs
they do. They are indispensable-and
they are aware Of the fact.
II is quite ten years since, before the
Liberals had been 90 fatally split up as
they are at present, that Sir Wilfrid Law
son amused his constituents by telling
them that IL was the custom Of the whip
pers in OF parliament 10 summon their POI
litical hounds together by means Of a
polite little circular, which earnestly re-
quested'' the presence OF each individual
member who might be counted on 10 vote
straight. II there was no dash under the
word earnestly IL was safe to infer,
said the honorable member for Carlisle,
that the business TO which reference was
made might or might not come on that
evening. One dash under the word meant
that the member summoned ought to
come. Two das nes meant that he certain
ly should come. Three undermining strokes
meant that he must come. And IL the
whip had beer lavish enough to waste no
fewer than fo,.r dashes ON the earnestly"
thesplain sig liiicance Of that vas that il
the member chose to stay away he would
do so NJ his peril.
IL is open To question whether the use
of these marks, supposed to be so dear to
the feminine mind. beneath the summon
ing words in whips circulars have been
productive Of good or harm. One ohvi-
Gus result has been TO cause Legislators to
have very little respect for an earnest re-
quest without the accompanying symbols
Of peremptOriness. II a whip were To
he asked what possible peril could
be involved in a member disobeying
a party command, and staying at home
when a great division was pending, he
would no doubt reply that the peril arose
from the members own constituents.
But. for all that, members who are casual
in the parliamentary attendance or con-
firmed absentees do unquestionably 60 in
terror Of the remonstrances Of the party
fuglemen. apart altogether from a con-
sideration Of the effect Of %non-yoting on
the safety OF their seats.
Long custom has made the rule Of the
whip a prescriptive one which nobody
would dispute, except when convictions
forced a man to quit his party ranks and
vote for once with the opposite hosts. Il
Is a rule which Is exercised with great
tact and judgment, and which is not re-
scented. Now and then, no doubt, members
break away from the whips; occasionally
a statesman, like Mr.. Disraeli in his free
lance days, refers bitterly to the party or
ganiZation as being too severe, and dubs
the necessity Of obeying the whips ''sla-
very" As a general rule, however, 1t is
recognized that a party would he all at
sea without these officials, who work so
silently, and whose names are not marked
out for the fame which awaits the political
leaders on either side.
The whip has a hard fate. He leads a
s~candalously irregular life, as far as late
hours are concerned. lie is expected to
rise with the lark, although he only goes
TO bed with the reporters, and when the
last light is being extinguished in the
house " commons. Members Of his party
who are in trouble Of any sort come to
him and consult him as il he were a father
confessor. He is supposed 10 have a kind
Of intuitive acquaintance with the feeling
Of the party and II he misleads the lead
ers in this respect he is made to repent the
blunder in parliamentary sackcloth. I'm
der all possible irritations he is expected
TO keep his temper, To nave a nod or a
word ready for everybody, and 10 smile
like an angel, even if kept up by an all
night sitting and racked with toothache.
''Inquire within upon everything con-
nected with the game Of politics" ought
10 be inscribed in letters of gold round a
whips coat collar.
Now, what is the guerdon for all this
display Of civic virtues The virtue In
this case, as in most cases. il It's own re-
ward, and the whip gets no pecuniary So
latium whatever. He takes his salary in
the esteem Of his brother members, and
I'm the consciousness that he is playing an
important part in the political arena. No
sooner are the doors of the house thrown
wide, and the division bell sounded, than
he Is 20 be seen making his way rapidly
to the front benches, there TO receive in
structions as 70 which lobby his party is
TO go into, and other important matters.
He is expected TO have some mesmeric
influence over members, s as to keep a
house, More than that, when there Is
danger OF the cloture being needed, he has
TO keep such a house as was never dreamed
Of In the good old fashioned days, for he
Is responsible for having no fewer than
200 supporters In attendance, in the
library, smoking room, dining o or
lobby, ready TO ''pounce" when Mr.. smith